Thursday, November 3, 2011

Economical Way to Winterize

   The cold weather means many of you will be storing your boat or RV for the winter.  A great way to keep the refrigerator and other sealed compartments fresh and dry is to fill them with wadded up newspaper.  The newspaper absorbs excess moisture and keeps mold and mildew from growing.  It's easy, free and you can recycle the paper in the spring.
   It's also a good idea to place some mouse bait in your boat or RV this time of year just in case!
  For other tips on storing your big toys call Ray in Avoca, AR at 479-636-9498 or Cesar in Eureka Springs, AR at 479-253-2020.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Why You Need Tenant Insurance

Recently we learned about lightning strikes that resulted in fires at 2 different storage facilities.  The buildings were burned to the ground and the stored property inside was completely destroyed.

We can all learn from others tragedies.  Be sure to check your homeowner's policy to make sure that it covers property that is kept at a self storage facility.  If your policy does not cover property stored at a location other than your home or if you rent and don't have a homeowner's policy, get signed up for tenant insurance at your storage facility.  Most policies are affordable and it's easy to get started.  The policy premium is usually billed out with your monthly rent payment.

If you have any questions or want to get a price quote, call Ray at Beaver Storage in Avoca, AR at 479-636-9498 or Cesar at Beaver Lake Storage in Eureka Springs, AR at 479-253-2020.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Spring Weather in the Ozarks

Well, there is no need to tell you that we've had a lot of rain lately.  Rain, hail and high winds.  Thank goodness we have had no damage to the storage buildings at either Beaver Storage in Avoca or Beaver Lake Storage in Eureka Springs.

Even though all is well, I would encourage everyone to look in on their stored property and double check things.  In weather like this almost anything is possible and if you catch a small water leak early you can avoid damage to your property.  Since storage facility managers don't have access to individual units, the only way they know a problem is brewing is if the tenant catches it and brings it to their attention.

Stored property is the responsibility of the person leasing the storage space.  The storage facility does not insure the items being stored in their buildings.  Find out if your home owner's insurance policy will cover your belongings that are stored in a self storage facility.  If it doesn't, consider purchasing tenant insurance.  We offer a policy that has different coverage limits and is billed out with your montly storage rent.  You can get coverage for almost anything except flooding for as little as $8.00 per month.

Give your storage facility manager a call if you have any questions or find any problems in your unit.  You can reach Beaver Storage at 479-636-9498 and Beaver Lake Storage at 479-253-2020.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Spring Cleaning

Of course a storage space can help with your spring cleaning this year.  As you go through your cluttered garage or crowded spare room, wouldn't it be nice to be able to relocate the boxes and items to which you don't need daily access?  Organizing them neatly in an off-site storage unit will allow you to keep them out of your hair but not out of your life!

But spring cleaning doesn't just apply to your home or garage.  Everyone needs to spring clean their existing storage unit as well.  You may not need to go thoroughly through the boxes each year, but it is wise to check on your unit and it's contents periodically. 

Storage managers do not have access to customers' units.  If there is any problem in a unit, the manager would have no way of knowing unless the customer informed them.  If a unit has a roof leak or a pest problem, it's up to the customer to catch this.  Remember, any damage to the contents of your storage unit is the customer's responsibility!  It's in your best interests to check on your stuff every now and then.

Spring is a great time to evaluate what you are storing and how you are storing it.  You may find boxes and items that you no longer need to keep.  In this case, a quick garage sale or donation to your favorite charity may allow you to size down your storage unit and save a little money.  Purging from your unit could also make room for new items you bring from home.

You may want to look at items that have been stored long term and make sure that the boxes they are in are still in good shape.  Corrugated cardboard does deteriorate over time; especially when things are stacked on top of them.   For longer term storage you may want to consider resealable plastic tubs.

Whatever spring cleaning you do, don't forget self-storage.  We can help!  Call our managers for more ideas:  Beaver Storage in Avoca/Rogers - 479-636-9498 and Beaver Lake Storage in Eureka Springs - 479-253-2020

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Job Opening in Eureka Springs

Our self storage facility near Eureka Springs has a job opening for a resident manager. 

Duties of the manager include computer work, office work, customer service, sales collections and light maintenance.  Office hours are M-F 9-5 and Sat 9-1 but actual hours worked are aproximately 3 per day.  The office is connected to the residence.

Compensation for this management position includes a 2BR, 2 bath home, utilities, phone, satelite television and internet.  The position is perfect for someone with a spouse or room mate who works outside the home or for someone with another source of income.

If you are interested in applying for this job, please send a resume to storagejob@live.com.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Choosing the Right Size Storage Unit

If you are getting ready to rent a storage unit you want to take some time to choose the best size.  You don't want to pay for more storage than you need but on the other hand, you want plenty of room to move around in your unit so you can access boxes, furniture or seasonal items when you need them!

Following are some general guidelines that can help you narrow down the possibilities:

5 X 10:  This is about the size of a small closet.  It will hold about one room of furniture and belongings or a studio apartment.

10 X 10:  This unit is the size of a large walk in closet.  It will hold about 3 rooms of belongings or a 2 bedroom apartment.

10X20:  This is about the size of a garage.  It will hold furniture and miscellaneous items from a 4 bedroom house or a full garage worth of items.

Additionally, you can keep these tips in mind when you are narrowing down your unit size:

  • In units over 10 feet deep, plan to leave a walkway space open down the middle of the unit for accessing items in the rear of the unit.
  • Long items such as sofas and mattresses can be stored on end to save space.  Most units have plenty of headroom.
  • If you are storing a vehicle or boat, don't forget to account for the trailer tongue or hitch length.  A 20 foot boat on a trailer won't fit into a 20 foot unit.
  • When you visit the facility to look at sizes, be sure to walk all the way inside the unit and look back out toward the door.  This gives you a better feel for the actual size of the unit.
If you have any questions about units sizes or availability, you can call our facility manager at 479-636-9498.  Chances are, we've stored something similar before and can help solve your storage dilemma!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Help with Selling Your House

Are you trying to sell your house but the slow market is making it difficult?  A storage unit could help! 

By moving out some of the extra items that are cluttering up your rooms, you could make your house more appealing to buyers.  Leaving furniture in the rooms is often a good strategy but personal items such as family photographs should be removed.  In addition, it might be a good idea to pare down the number of toys in the kids room or the amount of craft supplies in the extra bedroom.  Lawn and garden equipment could be moved out of the garage to make the place look more appealing.  Eliminating extra small kitchen appliances, seasonal dishes and any unused kitchen gadgets can make the kitchen feel clean and roomy.

Place your items in heavey duty boxes or plastic tubs and label them well.  Stack them in the unit with labels pointing out and the back of the containers against the storage room walls.  This way you can have an aisle down the middle of your boxes and you will easily be able to locate and retrieve items as you need them.

Get the clutter out of the way and let someone fall in love with your house!  Call us at Beaver Storage 479-636-9498 or at Beaver Lake Storage 479-253-2020 if you would like to discuss our different unit sizes and what might work best for you!